ARCADIA, Calif. - Despite a trip that his owner described as "the worst he's had," Wooden Phone won Saturday's $200,000 San Pasqual Handicap* (click here for chart) at Santa Anita, joining the list of contenders for the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap in March.

Little went right for Wooden Phone in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Handicap, run over 1 1-16 miles. Customarily a frontrunner, Wooden Phone never made the lead. He rallied wide on both turns and on the backstretch and still prevailed by a head over Euchre.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Jerry Botts was remembered Saturday as a consummate professional who lived the last 16 years of his life working at his dream job as racing secretary at Churchill Downs.

Botts, who died Jan. 1 after having been diagnosed with lung and liver cancer just several days beforehand, was eulogized at a 40-minute memorial service by John Asher, a fellow vice president at Churchill. Although Botts, who was 54, was never married and had no children, he nevertheless was a "family man," said Asher.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Mohammed Moubarak will switch from trainer to racing manager for his principal client, the Buckram Oak Stable, within the next several weeks. But before trading in his stopwatch for a briefcase, Moubarak registered one of the most noteworthy victories of his career when Pisces won Saturday's $150,000 Appleton Handicap* (click here for chart) by a head over North East Bound before a crowd of 29,889.

NEW ORLEANS - There are two allowance races on Fair Grounds's Monday card, but don't miss the maidens.

The sixth of 10 races here Monday, a six-furlong sprint for freshly turned 3-year-old colts, might well be the deepest maiden special weight race of this meet. Besides several horses who already have run well in the afternoon, it drew a pair of impressive schooling race winners as well as a first-time starter from the Ronnie Werner stable, a haven of precocious horses.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer John Kimmel hopes a drop in class and the climate of south Florida will translate into a victory for Serazzo, who heads a 10-horse field entered in a nine-furlong classified allowance turf race Monday at Gulfstream Park.

Since winning a third-level allowance race at Keeneland in April, Serazzo has competed in three consecutive stakes without success. He finished last in the Grade 3 Elkhorn, fifth in the Sycamore, and eighth in the Grade 2 Red Smith Handicap. He was beaten only four lengths in the Red Smith.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos* (click here for PP's) worked six furlongs from the gate under regular jockey Jorge Chavez on Saturday as he continues to train well for his 4-year-old debut in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on Feb. 9.

"He hasn't started in six months and he'll need a gate work somewhere along the line, so I thought I'd just get it out of the way and work him an easy six furlongs today," said Monarchos's trainer, John Ward.

Perfect Drift made a strong move between horses on the turn, and then drew off to a convincing victory in the $47,500 Turfway Prevue at Turfway Park.

Jockey Tony D'Amico, who was aboard for trainer Murray Johnson, gave just one hard crack of his whip to Perfect Drift as the Dynaformer colt prevailed by four lengths over front-running World Champion. Thunder on Land finished third in a field reduced to seven 3-year-olds by three early scratches.

The winner paid $7 after finishing 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:18.15 over a fast track.

NEW ORLEANS - His race had come off the turf, his stiffening 7-year-old bones hadn't been in competition in two months, and sheets of rain swept over Fair Grounds when Northcote Road went to the post in the $75,000 Colonel Bradley Handicap.

He was a cinch.

JAMAICA, N.Y. - Iron Deputy, making his two-turn debut, drew off to win Saturday's $83,300 Count Fleet Stakes* (click here for chart) at Aqueduct by 2 3/4 lengths over D'Coach.

Nine 3-year-olds ran in the Count Fleet after the scratch of Saratoga Blues.

Under Richard Migliore, Iron Deputy was rated off an honest pace in fourth, moved four wide around the turn, and spurted clear in upper stretch. D'Coach, the slight favorite over Iron Deputy, finished 3 1/2 lengths in front of No Parole, the third-place finisher.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The acute shortage of quality 3-year-old fillies in California is evident in Sunday's $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita.

Of the four entrants, only * has beaten winners. No Turbulence and Tamarack Bay are recent maiden winners, and Gaslamp Girl finished fourth in a maiden race for $32,000 claimers on Dec. 29 in her only start.